Metal container



Nov. 28, 1939. w. G. PLUMB 2.181.340

METAL CONTAINER Filed July 20, 1937 fad g5],

6 15 r I If Patented Nov. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE METAL CONTAINER Walter G. Plumb, Bidgewood, N. J., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 20, 1937, Serial No. 154,640

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in metal containers and more particularly to improvements in a metal container adapted to be closed by a detachable cover which is provided with a depending flange overlying the end of the container.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved container of the above type wherein the cover flange and the body wall of the container therebelow are in alignment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above type wherein the body wall of the container within the cover flange is inwardly offset to accommodate the cover flange so that the external diameter of the closed container remains uniform.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above type wherein the inwardly oflset portion of the body wall of the container is provided with inwardly projecting inclined grooves which constitute threads for receiving inwardly projecting ribs on the cover flange.

The above and other objects of the invention 26 will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, of the container body.

80 Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in section, showing the assembled cover and container body.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in sec- I tion, of the cover.

86 The invention contemplates generally the provision of a container which is closed by a cover having a depending flange overlying the body wall of the container around the open end thereof and which, when so closed, will present an outer 40 surface of substantially uniform diameter. To this end, the body wall of the container is offset inwardly around the open end thereof to receive the cover flange. The ofiset is approximately the thickness of the cover flange so that the flange I and the body wall of the container therebelow are in substantial alignment. The container is illustrated as being cylindrical and the offset portion of the body wall is curled inwardly to provide a strengthening bead which fits snugly 50 within a recess in the cover. The offset wall portion is provided with inwardly extending inclined grooves which form threads receiving inwardly projecting ribs on the cover flange.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying I drawing, the cylindrical body wall ill of the container is inwardly offset, as at l I, below the open end thereof. The inwardly oflset wall portion Illa is provided with inclined grooves l2 which extend inwardly and form threads. The upper portion lllb of the wall is of a diameter slightly I less than the lower portion Illa and is curled within the container to provide a strengthening bead l3. The threads formed by the grooves l2 terminate in the upper wall portion Illb below the bead I3. 10

The cover 14 is provided with a depending flange IS, the thickness of which is substantially the same as the offset ll, -so that the outer surface of the closed container remains uniform. The cover I4 is shaped to provide an annular 15 depression Hi, the outer wall I! of which forms with the flange l5 a recess. The bead l3 on the container body is adapted to snugly fit with the recess between the flange l5 and the wall portion 11. When the container is closed, the wall por- 20 tion I prevents the bead l3 from moving inward- 1y, thus strengthening the offset wall portion Illa.

The depending flange I5 is provided with inwardly projecting ribs I8 which are inclined symmetrically with respect to the grooves I! on the wall portion ma. The upper wall portion lllb, being of lesser diameter than the lower portion Illa, permits the ribs l8 on the cover flange to pass thereover when the cover is placed on the container so that the ribs will fit within and 0 follow the grooves l2 on the container body.

When the cover It is screwed down, the bottom edge of the cover flange 15 will abut against the offset l I and the bead I3 will snugly fit in the recess formed. between the portion I1 and the cover flange. The cover flange I5 is thus disposed in alignment with the body wall l0 so that the outer diameter of the closed container is uniform. The outer wall ll of the recess IS in the cover serves as an abutment or stop to maintain the bead l3 in position and to thus strengthen the offset wall portion of the container.

It is to be clearly understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A sheet metal container comprising a cylindrical body portion having the upper open end thereof rolled inward to form a hollow bead, a cover for said container having a central depression forming a wall adapted to contact with the inner portion of the hollow bead, said cover having a depending flange adapted to extend down over the body wall, said body wall being provided with inwardly projecting portions forming inclined thread grooves which terminate below the top of the can body, said cover flange having inwardly projecting inclined ribs fitting within and adapted to tollow said thread grooves, said body wall in the region extending from the upper ends of said threads to the lower end of the cover therebelow the thickness of the body wall, and

said flange being dimensioned so as to flt closely to said threads in the region containing the threads and therebelow so that the outer diameter of the container in the region of the depending cover flange and the body wall therebelow are of substantially the same diameter, said body wall in the region above said threads being further oflset inwardly so as to permit the ribs .on

the cover flange to pass over said portion of the 

